Over the years a number of problems have been encountered in the construction of concrete walls and panels. One of these problems relates to the fact that a bare concrete wall is aesthetically displeasing and for this reason a number of methods have been proposed to texture or provide a surface finish to the outer surface of the wall to provide an aesthetically and architecturally pleasing appearance.
As a result of the these proposals, a number of different arrangements have been tried to adhere or embed articles or texture in or on the surface of finished concrete structures with varying degrees of success. As is well known in the prior art, different methods have been attempted to hold bricks and other objects in a form, usually horizontal, while the concrete is poured over the objects so as to embed and hold the objects in the surface of the concrete panel. The panel is then used to form the wall, such as by attaching it to an existing structural surface or using that panel as the surface treatment in a new wall structure. While in many cases bricks have been used as the surface treatment, other objects can be used, such as tiles, stones, exposed aggregates, or the like which provide a visually pleasing result.
In addition to the embedding of objects such as bricks in concrete panels that are used in construction, various types of concrete form liners have been provided wherein the liner has a reverse texture or contour design provided in its surface. The liner is attached to the inside surface of the concrete form whereby the concrete which is poured into the form and set will take on the textured appearance of the liner. These treatments include such appearances as simulated brick or wood, rough corrugated surfaces, and vertically or horizontally grooved surfaces.
When dealing with objects to be embedded in the wall surface, one of the liners or devices which have been used in the past produce a reliable method which will allow consistent transfer of the objects into the finished surface during the construction phase. In many cases, objects such as bricks or tiles are adhered or physically attached to some kind of a form or panel and this form or panel is then used in conjunction with the concrete form to position the embedded object in the surface. In some cases, the object, especially if it is vertical construction, loosens in the liner or form and falls to the bottom of the form during the handling and installation or during the actual pouring of the concrete. Considerable stress and impact is imparted to the form and object when the concrete is poured into the form and when vibrators are used to move the concrete and fill the surfaces of the form. When objects are dislodged in the form, considerable labor and cost is incurred since the concrete has now filled the space that would have been occupied by the object and it is necessary to remove this concrete and manually reinstall an object to fill the missing space. This additional time and cost adds greatly to the expense of the project and in some cases will make the project uneconomical.
In order to eliminate these problems it is necessary to provide a retention liner product which will securely retain objects and allow these objects to be held in the concrete form without loosening. An additional aspect of this approach is the requirement that once the concrete has been poured and set it is necessary to easily release the object from the liner to reveal the clean, finished surface. These two requirements are in direct opposition to each other and this is why the present invention is so innovative and unique.